On the occasion of CES 2024, Atari and MyArcade presented their brand new retro portable console. Scheduled for an early launch in September 2024, the GameStation Portable will feature nearly 200 retro games and will have a joystick, a directional cross or even a track ball.
While we mentioned in our columns this weekend the launch in 2024 of the Atari 400 in mini version, the legendary manufacturer is once again in the spotlight. On the occasion of CES 2024 which closed its doors on January 12, Atari has just presented a brand new retro portable console: the GameStation Portable.
Developed in partnership with MyArcade, a company specializing in retrogaming, this machine will obviously be aimed at nomadic players nostalgic for the golden age of Atari. For good reason, the GameStation Portal includes a 7 inch screen. In order to offer a maximum of titles from the manufacturer’s vast catalog, the console will have numerous buttons, such as a Paddle Controller (a roulette limited to two directions, left/right and up/down depending on the games), a directional cross without forgetting a track ball (a trackball in the language of Molière). You will also find classic buttons, as well asa numeric keypad.
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However, the proliferation of control schemes could well lose newbies. Fortunately, MyArcade thought of them. Indeed, the manufacturer had the good idea of integrating LEDs around the different buttons. They will light up if the game you have just launched uses specific commands. Let us point out that the machine will have, like the Nintendo Switch, a kickstand at the back, but also two USB Type-C ports.
According to MyArcade, the GameStation Portable will support no less than 200 retro games. This is significantly more than what the Atari Pocket Player Pro, the previous retro portable console launched by the company, offers. To summarize, the GameStation Portal will offer a larger screen and a more generous catalog thanks to the integration of numerous control schemes. Inevitably, the price will rise too. From the $39.99 asking for the Atari Pocket Player Pro, we go here to $149.99 for the GameStation Portable. For now, the early launch of the retro console is planned for September/October 2024, before the arrival of the final version in 2025.